This landmark in Bahrain is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Bahrain's Dilmun Burial Mounds have now been listed as a World Heritage Site by Unesco's World Heritage Committee.

The landmark, which comprises of 21 archaeological sites in the western part of the Gulf island, was voted to be included by the committee that met in Baku for its 43rd session.

As reported by The National, The Dilmun Burial Mounds were built between 2050 BC and 1750 BC, offering evidence of the Early Dilmun civilisation, around the same time with Bahrain became a trade hub.

6 of these 21 sites are burial mound fields, and the other 15 sites include 13 single royal mounds and two pairs of royal mounds, spread across towns such as Madinat Hamad, Janabiyah and A'ali.

"These tombs illustrate globally unique characteristics, not only in terms of their number, density and scale, but also in terms of details such as burial chambers equipped with alcoves," says the statement from Unesco.

Others on the list include mounded tombs of Ancient Japan and megalithic stone jar sites used in funerary practices in the Iron Age, in Lao People's Democratic Republic. This is the third time that Bahrain has made it to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The website explains, "The site is the last remaining complete example of the cultural tradition of pearling and the wealth it generated at a time when the trade dominated the Gulf economy.”